Lordship of Albarracín explained

Native Name:Sinyoría d'Albarrazín
Senyoria d'Albarrasí
Señorío de Albarracín
Conventional Long Name:Lordship of Albarracín
Common Name:Albarrazín (Albarracín)
Era:Middle Ages
Government Type:Independent Lordship
Year Start:1167
Year End:1300
P1:Taifa of Albarracín
P2:Almoravid dynasty
Flag P2:Flag of Morocco (1147-1269).svg
S2:Kingdom of Aragon
Flag S2:Siñal d'Aragón.svg
Flag Border:no
Capital:Albarracín
Religion:Roman Catholic
Islam
Common Languages:Navarro-Aragonès, Mozarabic, Arabic
Title Leader:Lord
Leader1:Pero Ruiz d'Azagra (first)
Year Leader1:1167
Leader2:Pedro Fernández de Azagra
Year Leader2:c. 1220
Today:Albarracín, Spain

The Lordship of Albarracín was an independent Christian lordship in the Kingdom of Aragón located in and around the city of Albarracín. Its location was a buffer wedged between the Kingdom of Aragón and the Kingdom of Castile. The Señorío was created after the partition of the Taifa of Albarracín belonging to the Berber line of Banu Razín.

History

Establishment

In 1167, under the pressure from the ongoing wars between the Almoravid Dynasty and the new invasions of the Almohad Caliphate, the Moorish King Muhammad ibn Mardanis (nicknamed the Wolf King), ceded the Taifa of Albarracín to a vassal of Sancho VI of Navarre, a noble from Estella-Lizarra named Pedro Ruiz de Azagra. The title was granted to d'Azagra due to his support of the Navarrese Crown against Alfonso VIII of Castile and Alfonso I of Aragón (Alfonso the Battler).

In 1172, Pero Ruíz d'Azagra managed to consolidate his power over the Señorío making that territory independent of the other Christian Kingdoms in the region. In 1190, with the signing of the Borja Accords, between Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancho VI of Navarre, the two monarchs agreed to a defensive pact against Alfonso VIII of Castile which gave official legitimacy to the Sinyoría d'Albarrazín with respect to the two kingdoms.[1]

Troubles with the Kingdom of Aragón

In 1220, Albarracín became one of the scenes of the First Noble Revolt Against James I of Aragón, a revolt that was fostered by Rodrigo de Lizana with the help of Pedro Fernández de Azagra, the contemporary Señor of Albarracín. James I of Aragón decided to besiege the city that same year but lifted the siege after he failed to gain significant support from his nobility.

Conquest of the Taifa of Valencia

The House of Azagra remained out of favor with the Crown of Aragón until the Reconquista of Valencia in which they collaborated with the Aragonese Crown. In 1233, they participated in the conquest of Valencia. One of the major battles the Señorío contributed its forces to was the Siege of Burriana which resulted in a victory for Aragon over the Zayyan ibn Mardanish and the Taifa of Valencia.

Downfall and integration into the Kingdom of Aragón

The House of Azagra remained dominant in the region for six generations thanks to the support received from the Kingdom of Aragon. In 1281, with the signing of the Treaty of d'Ágreda by Peter III of Aragon and Alfonso X of Castile came to an agreement and Aragon was free to pursue territorial expansion in the region of Albarrazín and elsewhere.[2] In 1284, the Sinyoría d'Albarrazín was conquered by the Kingdom of Aragon after a lengthy siege lasting from April to September of that year. Attempts to recover the lands by the contemporary lord, Juan Núñez I de Lara, who decided to pursue an alliance with the Kingdom of France, were defeated. Peter III of Aragon, upon capturing the city, gave it as a gift to his illegitimate child with Inés Zapata, Ferdinand of Aragon.[3]

In 1300, James II of Aragon incorporated the lands and city of Albarracín into his dominion as a titled city.

The Lords of Albarrasí

Señor de Albarracín Period AKA
--
Pero Ruíz d'Azagra (Aragonese) 1167 - 1186 Pero Ruíz d'Açagra
Pedro Ruíz de Azagra
Fernando Ruíz d'Azagra (Aragonese) 1186 - 1196Ferrando Ruiz d'Açagra
Fernando Ruíz de Azagra
Pero Ferrández d'Azagra (Aragonese) 1196 - 1246 Pero Ferrández d'Açagra
Pedro Fernández de Azagra
Alvar Pérez d'Azagra (Aragonese) 1246 - 1260 Alvar Pérez d'Açagra
Alvaro Pérez de Azagra
Joan I Nunyez de Lara (Aragonese) 1260 - 1294 Joan I Nunyez de Lara
Juan Núñez I de Lara
Joan II Nunyez de Lara (Aragonese) 1294 - 1300 Joan II Nunyez de Lara
Juan Núñez II de Lara

References

Bibliography

40.4083°N -1.4394°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: Mariana . Juan de . Juan de Mariana . Sabau y Blanco . José Sabau y Blanco . José . Historia general de España . 7 . 1818 . Imprenta de Leonardo Nuñez de Vargas . es. 97 .
  2. Carlos Ayala Martínez, Paces castellano-aragonesas de Campillo-Agreda (1281)
  3. Book: de Salazar, Luis . Luis de Salazar y Castro . Mateo de Llanos y Guzmán . Volume 3 . Historia genealógica de la Casa de Lara . 1697 . Madrid . 134–135 . VIII .